


Inked

by EzzyDean



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, past KisuRei, past SouRin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-07 15:40:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3176913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzzyDean/pseuds/EzzyDean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inked was only the most popular tattoo parlor in the city, and in a thousand mile radius if popular social media was to be believed, and they had Nanase.  A genius who could turn the simplest tattoo into a work of art.  So Rin's question is this: why the hell was the owner with his gorgeous back already mostly covered with impressive ink coming to him about a tattoo?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When he first comes in Rin is sure that the guy is either lost or just looking to kill some time.  He just doesn’t _look_ the tattoo type.  Rin should know better than to judge because his assistant doesn’t look the type either, with his fluffy perfect hair and dorky red glasses, but man the sleeves on that kid are amazingly thought out and beautiful.  But this guy… It’s not like this guy is too stuck up looking or anything.  The guy looks a little rough around the edges even with his shaggy hair and kind of dopey smile.

Then they start talking and the guy explains he wants something more on his back.  And that back.  Man Rin could write fucking sonnets about that magnificent back if he was the writing type.  The back itself is a piece of work but the actual ink on the back is something else and Rin feels a touch in awe of it.  Rin can immediately see the spots that are still open and he’s already feeling that itch under his skin to put his marks there.  He already knows exactly what would work in those spaces.  But he has to ask.

"Why me?  You obviously have some amazing work here already."

The man smiles and shrugs his shoulders, drawing Rin’s attention back to that damn gorgeous expanse of muscles.  ”I only let the best work on me and I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.  So I thought I’d see what the hype was about.  See if you’re up for the challenge of these holes.”

Rin is so totally up for the challenge.  So they talk.  Rin’s already taken a couple pictures of the back and the spots to work with and is busy sketching ideas when Rei comes in.  Not long after that the guy leaves a business card and heads out.  Saying he’s looking forward to seeing what Rin comes up with.  Rin is so engrossed with his ideas that he barely registers Rei helping a few people looking for tattoo ideas and setting up appointments.  He’s nearly forgotten his assistant until Rei picks up the business card and lets out a surprised sound.

"What?"  Rin barely looks up from his sketch.

"Do you realize who that was?"

"A potential client with a fucking gorgeous body that I possibly get to work on?"

"Well, yes.  But he’s also the owner of Inked."  Rin’s eyes widen and he snatches the business card out of Rei’s hand.

Inked was only _the_ most popular tattoo parlor in the city, and in a thousand mile radius if popular social media was to be believed, and they had Nanase.  A fricken genius who could turn the simplest tattoo into a work of art.

"He has Nanase available to work on him.  Hell that’s probably who did the rest of it."  He’s muttering as Rei cleans up the shop and they head out.  "Is he fucking around with me?  Is this a joke to him?"

"Well you said that he mentioned he only lets the best work on him.  Maybe he wants to offer you a job or something.  You are pretty good."

"Pretty good?  I’m damn amazing."  Rei laughs quietly and shakes his head.  "But don’t worry.  I’m not going anywhere without my assistant.  I just wish he would have told me who he was.  It feels like I’m being set up for a horrible joke."

Rei tells him not to dwell on it and to just wait a couple days, see what happens.  Above all just keep calm.  

Rin sucks at listening to Rei’s suggestions.

So he finds himself standing outside Inked early the next morning.  He’s been up since somewhere around 5 AM thinking about it and now he’s fuming and sure that the whole thing is some damn joke and he’s the ass end of it and that just does not sit well with him.  After a moment of debate he shoves the doors open and stalks up to the counter where a cheery blonde is sitting.

"What can I do for you?"  

Rin shoves the business card across the counter and snaps, “I wanna talk to him.”  He doesn’t miss the way the blondes eyebrows jump or the way he grins as he rolls his stool back from the counter and yells down the hallway.  It only takes a moment and a familiar shaggy head and soft smile is standing in front of him.

"Ah, Rin.  I didn’t expect to see you so soon."

The polite yet happy to see him dopey smile is what sets him off and he’s vaguely aware he’s yelling as he glares up at Makoto.  "Am I some sort of fucking joke to you?"

Keep calm.  Yeah.  He really sucks at listening to Rei’s suggestions.


	2. Chapter 2

"I told you so."  Nagisa states cheerily as the glass door to Inked slams shut behind Rin.  "I  _so_ told you so.”

"You told me to check him out.  Said that your techie boyfriend pinned him for the best guy in the area after Haru.  Maybe even on level with Haru."

"Check him out as in see what kind of work he does.  Not, you know, check out his body.  I didn’t tell you to get all love-struck and lie about who you were."

"I didn’t lie."

"A lie by omission is still a lie Mako."  Nagisa singsongs as he rolls back behind the counter.  Presumably to send a text to his boyfriend about how colossal of a screw up Makoto was when it came to guys he found attractive.

"Shit."  Makoto drops to the couch in the main area with a groan.

Nagisa is busy checking on emails and paying the bills and he gives Makoto maybe half a glance at his reaction.  "Yep."  Five minutes later Makoto is still staring sadly at the floor as Nagisa’s phone buzzes.  "But you’re in luck.  He’s currently at Ai’s bakery and Sei is distracting him with Ai's delicious coffee."  Makoto blinks up at him in surprise.  "If you hurry you just might be able to grovel for forgiveness before he leaves.  He looks like the type that might forgive you if you grovel."

The wicked grin that crosses Nagisa’s face would probably worry Makoto if he hadn’t A) been distracted by the thought of getting Rin to forgive him and B) known Nagisa most of his life.  He slips into his jacket and is out the door before Nagisa can even say anything else.  It’s not like he really needs to be there today anyway.  Not with Haru as the actual tattooist and Nagisa there to play receptionist.

Things were picking up for them and they were getting more people interested than they could reasonably handle.  Which is why he and Haru had been poking around at the idea of bringing another artist in.  Someone to help out, give Haru some time off, give their customers a little variety in their choices.  Sei had worked his techno magic and connections and found out that the most promising candidate was Rin.  Who conveniently had a shop less than an hour away.  Who, less conveniently in a way, had taken Mako’s breath away the moment he had looked up at judged him with those piercing eyes but had still been willing to talk shop with him.  They needed someone with a slightly more personable attitude.  Not that Haru was horrible he just had a tendency to need a little more challenge in his life.  Another tattooist who was as good as him in their own way was the perfect thing.

And this is exactly what he tells Rin when he catches up to him and drags him into Ai’s office at the bakery.  Throwing this spew of words at Rin as he bows his head in front of him.  He ends by begging for Rin’s forgiveness at not explaining who he was because he had been so swept up in Rin’s passion and ideas that original reason he had shown up had kind of slipped his mind.

Rin’s face is red and he’s pretty sure that even the handful of people out in the bakery can hear the way his heart is pounding in his chest.  He’s not sure what to focus on first.  The roundabout confession, the potential job offer, or the fact that this 6 foot tall god with a gorgeous back was still bowing his head to Rin.  His phone vibrates in his pocket twice and he shakes himself out of his stupor as he fishes is out.  Two texts from Rei are waiting.

_You went and made an ass out of yourself didn’t you?_

_Whatever bakery or coffee shop you holed up in bring me back something.  I didn’t get breakfast this morning and you have a client coming in 45 minutes._

"I have an appointment in an hour.  You can come back in a couple days and see the designs I thought of if you still want to."  Rin mutters and strides out of the bakery, grabbing a cup of coffee and a couple muffins and saying Makoto would pay for it on his way out.

He hasn’t accepted Makoto’s apology.  The not telling him about being the owner of Inked was still a douche move on his part.  But he can’t necessarily just throw the potential job offer back in his face.  He has to think of himself and Rei both.  If Rei can come with he might consider joining them at Inked.  Which is something they can discuss later.

After at least one more apology from Makoto.

And maybe another few looks at that glorious back of his.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nonny asked: SouRin, 16, 49 (16 & 49 - broken wings & coming home)

"Shit shit shit," Rin mutters as he stomps down the short hallway from the alley entrance into the back room.  Two days.  It had only taken him two days in his new workplace to wind up bleeding.  He’s pretty sure he’ll never beat his record of five minutes from that time he sliced his finger open with a cardboard box a few years back.  But still.  Two days is pretty impressive.  It had taken him almost two weeks when he opened his little shop last year and that was mostly Rei’s fault for bumping into him while they were cleaning the place up.

"You okay in there?"  Nagisa’s voice carries down the hall and Rin calls back that he’s fine.  He is technically.  He’s not worried at all about the cut, he’s had far worse after all.  He’s more frustrated about the fact that he now has a huge tear in the sleeve of the shirt he had been wearing.  It was one of his favorites and it wasn’t technically his.  Although, he muses as he carefully yanks it off and sets it on the table before heading to the bathroom further into the shop, when the owner leaves it with you for over four years and never talks to you again or comes back for it then it might as well be yours.

He rinses the cut on his arm off and wipes away the blood before pressing a piece of paper towel to it.  "Oi, Nagisa.  Where’s the first aid kit in this place?”  He asks as he steps to the front and freezes when he sees who is there.  Nagisa is turning from the desk with a worried look on his face at the question.  Makoto is standing a few feet away accepting a delivery of some kind and laughing with the deliveryman.  Teal eyes pass over him and then snap back as the deliveryman registers just what he saw.

"Rin?"  He asks, seemingly shocked, and blinks at the scowl he gets in response.

"Sousuke."  It looks like his names leaves a foul taste in Rin’s mouth and Sousuke flinches.  "Welcome home," he sneers at Sousuke and then turns to Nagisa with an expectant look, "first aid kit?"  Nagisa gives them all a look and then leads the way back down the hallway.

Sousuke’s eyes widen as he takes in the tattoo peeking out from under the back of Rin’s tank top.  His hand rubs absently at his shoulder as he spies the wings spread across Rin’s back.  How long has Rin had them, he wonders as Makoto turns back to him with a confused look but continues their discussion of the new range of products that Sousuke was getting in stock.  A few minutes later the door behind him opens and he politely steps aside.

"So sorry I’m late," Rei apologizes as he steps inside. "I’m still trying to get used to the route I need to take to get here."  His airy laugh cuts short as he sees Makoto and Sousuke and his smile immediately drops.

"Hello, Rei," Sousuke says as politely as he can.  Of course wherever Rin had wound up Rei had followed.  Because that is the way Sousuke’s life goes.  He gets the chance to read the flash of anger in Rei’s eyes, a flash that reminds him of Rin’s sneer, and then he’s looking at Rei with tears in his eyes as he cups his nose.

"Welcome back."  Rei says as he calmly passes by them and heads down the hallway.  Makoto’s hands are warm and steady as he pulls Sousuke down the hallway and into his office.

"I feel like there’s a story here I might need to know about," Makoto says ten minutes later as he stands in the back watching as Rin and Rei share a glance and then turn to glare at Sousuke who is holding an ice pack to his nose and doing his best to ignore their looks.  "Considering my newest artist’s assistant just punched my materials supplier and tried to break his nose."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nonny prompted: Strikhedonia - The pleasure of being able to say “to hell with it”. for Rei
> 
> Aka: How Rin and Rei meet

"Are you sure about this?"  Rei frowns up at the man behind the counter and does his best not to roll his eyes.

"Is there a problem?"

The man glances down at the papers they have spread out on the counter top and then back up to Rei.  “No problem it’s just that these are really intricate.  You sure you want them for your first?”

"Can you not do them?"

"Of course I can.  I just wanna make sure you know what you’re getting into."

Rei could practically hear the thoughts dancing through the man’s head.  Thoughts about how Rei looked like a “good kid” who’d never want a tattoo, a kid with a proper upbringing and high class parents.  Thoughts abut how he’ll explain this when Rei’s rich parents come bursting in a couple of weeks down the road throwing threats about lawyers around.  Thoughts of whether or not the profit would be worth the potential risk of giving Rei the intricate tattoo he wants.  “You know what.  Forget about it.”  Rei doesn’t even bother hiding his frustration at the almost relieved breath the man lets out.

Three other shops had been like this after all.  In their eyes he was the typical rich kid out looking for a little rebellion.  A way to show his parents that he had an attitude.  A way to get attention.

Fuck that.  He was already neck deep in his rebellion, apparently, and he hadn’t even been trying to do anything.  This wasn’t a way for him to get their attention.  This was a way for him to commemorate his new start.

Two weeks later he’s staring up at the bottom of the inside of an empty takeout container he’s got held upside down over his head and he laughs, startling his roommate.

"If my parents could see me now, see us," he says when Kisumi gives him a questioning look, "they’d probably have heart attacks."  Kisumi glances between them and shrugs.  He’s wearing one of Rei’s silky button up pajama tops and a pair of boxers and Rei’s sprawled on the couch next to him wearing the matching pajama bottoms and nothing else.  They’re both sleep rumpled and covered in scratches and bruises from last night.

"Forget them," Kisumi grins and slides into Rei’s space, fingers tracing patterns up his bare chest and arms as Rei tosses the takeout box onto to the coffee table next to his sketch book.  "You’ve got me right here and since there’s nothing to eat right now I’m going to have you for a snack and then we’re going out for lunch."

 

"You know," Kisumi says that evening as they have an early supper since lunchtime was far behind them by the time they drug themselves out of the shower, "if you’re still wanting that tattoo I know someone."  Rei raises an eyebrow as Kisumi steals a bite of food from his plate.  "He’s just getting started so he doesn’t have a huge shop or a ton of experience but I’ve seen his work.  He’s good and he’s our age so you shouldn’t get the ‘does your mother know you’re out here’ look from him."  That makes Rei snort a little into his drink and Kisumi grins.  "Well you might get the look from him, that’s just who he is, but I’m sure he’ll still do it."

So another week later Rei finds himself sitting on a bar stool against a wall in a tiny shop as Kisumi’s friend Rin looks over his designs.  He tries to tell himself he’s not nervous about the level of interest Rin seems to be taking in his designs.

"This is really detailed." Rin finally says after flipping through all the pages a few times.  He meets Rei’s eyes and Rei can see the excitement dancing in Rin’s gaze at the prospect of such a challenging piece.  "You said it’ll be your first?"  Rei nods.  "You cool with it being your first and letting me do it?"  Rei nods again without breaking their locked gaze and Rin grins.  "Awesome."

It takes another two weeks before Rin finds out that Rei is the one who came up with and drew the design and he’s beside himself with excitement when he realizes that Rei already has tentative ideas for full sleeves on both arms.  Yet another two weeks later Rei finds himself hashing out details regarding his employment at Rin’s shop.  Rin needs an assistant, someone to help with design ideas and keep an eye on the shop when he’s not around and do supply runs, and Rei needs a job since the last one suddenly took an interest in his new tattoos (and their convenient “violation” of office dress code) right around the time he started making his displeasure at the boss's attempts at getting into his pants known to HR.

"To hell with it, it’s my life."  Rin smirks at Rei’s declaration as he signs the papers.

Rin’s phone buzzes and he answers the waiting text before shuffling the paperwork together and dropping it into a nearby drawer.  “Now that that’s settled you can start right now.  I gotta run out for a bit so you can keep an eye on things here.”  Rin hops up and grabs his jacket, giving a wink to Rei as he tosses him the shop keys.  “If I’m not back before closing lock up and take the keys with you.”

"I did not become your assistant so you could leave and have sex with your boyfriend you know," Rei calls out but Rin is already gone.


End file.
